Ribbon-shifting mechanism



C. SPIRO.

RIBBON SHIFTING MECHANISM: APPLLCATION FILED MAR. a. 1020.

1,383,776. Patented July 5, 1921 Elwwwtoz Mg Qua/nu,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mm SPEED, O1 NEW YORK, N. Y., ASBIGNOB 1'0 FEDERAL ADDING MACHINE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RIBBON-BREEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

To all whomitmwy concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Srmo, citizen of the United States, residing at New Y0rk,'in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Shifting Mechanism, of which the following is u specification.

- This invention relates to a ribbon shifting mechanism for ty ewriters and 'articularly to a construction or vibrating t e ribbon in varied paths and shifting the vibrating means for case shift equallzation.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved construction wherein the platen and ribbon vibrator are simultaneously case shifted by independent connections and the vibrator. actuated in either of varied paths by means thereon directly eniaging a universal bail.

further object of the invention is to resent an improved structure of universal ail having an elongated head to provide for case shiftin movement and disposed to contact with a iiftable member carried by an arm of a pivoted vibrator lever and having engaging members disposed at different distances from the axis of said lever.

Another ob'ect of the invention is to provide a novel orln of vibrator lever mounted for case shifting movement and provided with a slide plate upon one arm thereof adapted to en a head carried by a universal bail at difierent distances from the axis of the lever, together with means for shifting said plate from the keyboard of the A further obioct of the invention is to provide a nove combination wherein the ribbon case shifting and color shifting devices are mounted independent of the'carriage or platen and disposed for the most convenient assemble and accessibility and detachable connection with cooperating parts of the typewriter mechanism.

Other'and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the ap nded claims.

the drawing- 1 is a vertical section showing the assembled mechanisms;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective of the ribbon mechanism.

Like numerals refer to like parts in the figures of the drawing.

The numeral designates the base or frame of the machine which may be of any desired construction or configuration. and is preferably rovided with standards 11 at each side t ercof for supporting the top plate 12which is detachably secured thereto. This plate unit carries the ribbon spools l3 and supports the carriage 14 at the rear thereof. Upon the under face of the plate 12 an escapement mechanism 15 is secured and the driving pinion 16 therefrom meshes with a rack 17 upon the carriage. The carrings is also provided with the case shifted platen 18 controlled through lever arms 19 which are connected by a shift rail 20 at the rear thereof. This rail may be depressed to shift the platen upward by the vertical shift rod 21 provided at its upper end with a swinging arm 22 carrying a roller 23 which rides upon the upper face of the rail.

The shift rod 21 is reci'procated from a rock shaft 24 pivoted in the base unit 10 and having a rearward arm 25 pivotally connected to the lower end of the rod. This shaft is also provided with a forward arm 26 having a bifurcated end 27 for detachable connection with a slide pinto 28 mounted upon a slide block 29 carried by the fulcrum bar unit 30. This unit is dctachahly assembled upon the base and supports the seg meat 31 upon which the typebars 32 are pivotally mounted. The slotted pivotal ends 33 of these typebars are connected with sublevers 34 mounted upon the unit by pins 35. These suhlevers are also connected by a pivoted link 36 with the key lovers 37 which are mounted on the base 10 in the usual manner. The rock shaft 24 is formed with a'finger 38 disposed to be engaged by a hook member 39 carried by the shift key lever 40 which is mounted in the base similarlv to the key levers 37 e ribbon carrier support 41 is pivotally mounted upon the slide plate 28 for case shifting movement by the depending arms 42, and the ribbon carrier 43 is dis (1 to vibrate upon this support. The ri bon 44 from the spool 13 is attached to the carrier in the usual manner. For the purpose of vibratii the carrier a pivoted link 45 deencls t erefrozn and is connected at its ower end to the vibrator lever 46 supported in arms 47 extending rearwardly from the slide plate 28. The vertical arm 48 of this lever has movably mounted thereon the color shift device 49. The vibrator lever is actuated through this device by a universal bail 50 mounted in the segment and having a dependin rearward arm 51 provided with a vertically disposed elongated case shifting head 52. The bail is also provided with an upper rearward extension 53 to coiiperatively actuate the escapement mechanism.

A desirable form of the color shift device 49 may comprise a slide plate 54 having elongated slots 55 therein traveling upon pins'56 extended laterally from lugs 57 on the arm 48 of the vibrator lever. This plate is also provided with enga 'ng books 58 and 59, at the top and bottom e ges thereof respectively, disposed to embrace the bail bond 52. These hooks being at different distances from the axis of the lever correspondingly vary the extent of vibration thereof.

The plate 54 may be shifted from the key board by any desired connection, a preferable form comprising a pivoted link 60 extending from a lug 61 on the plate to a rock lever 62 pivoted upon the base at 63 and having its depending arm 6*! disposed to contact with a cam device 65 carried by the inner end of the slide plate 66. This de vice is herein shown as comprising a slot formed in a horizontal extension 67 from the plate which is also provided with a guide slot to receive a pin 69 from the frame. This plate may be actuated by a switch lever 70 pivoted at 71 upon the base and also pivoto. ly connected with the plate.

The operation of the mvention will be apparent from the foregoing description from which it will be seen that the extent of movement of the vibrator lever is determined by the hook thereof which engages the bail bond, and when neither hook is engaged with the head the ribbon is not vibrated. This adapts the ribbon for vibration in varied paths as in bichrome work and the arresting of the vibration thereof for stenciling or other purposes. The connection between the vibrator lever and universal bail head provides for case shifting the lever and maintaining the same degree of vibration in either case shifted position. The construction presents a ribbon controllin unit adapted to be assembled before application to the machine and for convenient location therein so that the parts are readily accessible for adjustment or repair.

By locating the color shift device 11 on the vibrator lever its weight is remove from the bail and the resistance to the typebar action reduced thus nfi'ordin a lighter touch and clearer impression. e inde endent case shifting connections'for the rib n and. platen relieves the latter of all of the ribbon mechanism and affords a much easier shifting action thereof; The devices for case shifting and color shifting the ribbon. are much simplified and dis osed where the are most readily assembllad and adjusts The slide pla'tc carr 'ng the ribbon mechanism can be dispose upon the fulcrum bar after it is in position and quickly connected with the rock shaftarm and hail which actuate the parts thereof.

While the details of the invention have been specifically shown and described, still it is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim -is 1. In a typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism com rising a ribbon cnrrier, a vibrator lever tierefor, a color controlling device shiftable uponsaid lever to vary the extent of vibration thereof, and a universal bail having a fixed head to engage said device whereby the bail is relieved of the weight thereof.

2. In a typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism com rising a ribbon carrier, a vibrator lever tierefor, a color controlling device slidably mounted upon said lever and having oppositely disposed connecting means in difierent horizontal planes, and a universal bail having a vertical fixed head to engage said means whereb the bail is relieved of the weight of said evice.

3. In a typewriter, a carri e, a ribbon carrier, a vibrator lever there or having a vertically disposed arm, a universal bail having means to actuate said lever, and a color shift plate carriedby said lever arm and having contacts at different distances from its axis disposed to be engaged by said means.

4. In a typewriter, a carriage, a ribbon carrier, a vibrator lever therefor, a universal bail having means to actuate said lever, a color shift device carried by said lever and having contacts at different distances from its axis disposed to be engaged by said actuating means, a switch member mounted upon the frame, and a pivoted link connection between said member and device.

5. In a. t pewriter, a carriage, a ribbon carrier, a vi rotor levertherefor, a color shift device carried by said lever, a sliding switch member having a cam device at its inner end, a rock lever connected to said cam device, a pivoted link between said rock lever and shift device, and means at the key board of the typewriter to reciprocate said switch member.

6. In a typewriter, ribbon shifting mechanism comprising a vibrator lover, a

nassme ribbon carrier connected thereto, a sliding eolor shift device mounted upon said lever,

a lever member pivoted upon a fixed part, a pivoted link extending therefrom to said shift device, a slide member having a cam slot at its inner end enga ing said lever member, and means dispose at a key board to'lctuate said slide member.

7. Ina typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism comprising a vibrator lever, a ribbon carrier connected thereto, a sli'ding color shift device mounted upon said iever;

a rock lever havin r a horizontal arm and u depending vertica arm, a link pivoted to said shift device and horizontal arm, a horizontally disposed slide member having a cam slot engaging said vertical arm, and a switch lever disposed at a key board to actuate said slide member.

8. In a typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism comprising a ribbon carrier, a vibrator lever therefor, a color controi plate slidingly mounted upon said lever and having oppositely disposed hooked members in difi'erent horizontal planes, and a universal bail having a vertical fixed head to engage said members.

9. Ina typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism comprising, a ribbon carrier, a vibrator lever therefor having a vertically disposed arm, a color control plate mounted to slide in a horizontal plane on said arm, a universal bail having a vertical head,;in

difierent distances from the axis of the lever.

11. In a typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism comprising a universal bail having an actuating head, an angular vibrator lever having one arm parallel with said head, a ribbon carrier connected to the other arm thereof, and a slide plate mounted upon said parallel arm and havin hooked con tacts at its upper and lower e gas to engage said head at different distances from the axis of the lever.

12. In a typewriter, a ribbon shifting mechanism comprisin a universal bail having an actuating: head: a bell-crank vibrator lever having a vertical arm provided with :1 lug and pin extending therefrom, a slotted slide plate mounted upon said in and having lateral engaging books at t 1e upper and lower edges thereof to embrace said head selectively, and means for shifting said plate.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

CHARLES SPIRO. 

